Have you ever thought “WHY OH WHY did I think I needed 14 black vest tops and 25 evening “looks” for a week in Portugal?? When will I ever learn?” Have you ever done that thing where you go on holiday, come back and realise you only wore a fraction of what you had squished into your bulging case? Have you ever been charged an “over allowance fee” at the airport? Ever bust a suitcase zip while putting all your body weight on it?
Well no more! As summer approaches and we dust off our very clever carry-on sized luggage let me share some tips, usually reserved for my clients, on how to avoid that overstuffed, over-crushed case of the panic stricken over-packer.
PACK TO A NUMBER
Ok, ok I hear you, if your going for longer than seven nights a ten piece capsule might be a tad aggressive however you can travel comfortably for a week or less with ten to twelve items, plus accessories. For longer holidays try a twenty piece capsule, if you have access to laundry facilities do you really need all those extra items just-in-case?
STICK TO A COLOUR PALETTE
Lay everything you would like to take out on your bed, look at the colours together, is there anything that immediately jars with the majority? Start to remove those items that require a certain bag, a certain shoe etc. really if it only goes with one thing, does it deserve to take up suitcase space? Add in pops of colours for interest but try to keep them within a palette that works together, ideally everything you are taking should go with everything else.
ACCESSORISE
Bring accessories which don't take up too much space, belts, shoes and a small bag for evening and of course jewellery. Accessorising a look is the fastest and simplest way to really change it up and make it look way more pulled together without really carrying too much in your carry on.
DON’T OVERLOOK MAKE-UP
A very clever a make-up counter lady once told me adding red lipstick can lift any mood, and she was right. I would add that it can also lift any outfit. A pop of colour on the eyes or lips can really make you feel different in the most basic outfit. When I am feeling particularly old, tired and wrinkly or I just want to feel that little bit more pulled together, I always add red lipstick.
THE CAPSULE
So here we are, I have pulled together a ten piece capsule, plus shoes and bags and shown you seven day looks and seven night looks. This type of minimal packing is really fun, it challenges you to be more creative with what you have, creating looks you might not have tried before.
So what is included... here goes....
YOUR 14 PIECE CAPSULE WARDROBE
H&M Red Drawstring Dress - £29.99
COS Pleated Skirt - £79
Arket Denim Shorts - £45
COS Red Swimsuit - £49
Arket White Linen Shorts - £35
H&M Leather Quilted Sliders - £49.99
Orange Square Toe Sandal - £35
Warehouse Oversized Straw Bag - £55.20 (on sale)
THE SEVEN DAY LOOKS
THE SEVEN EVENING LOOKS
SWIMWEAR (A NOTE)
I felt a separate note on swimwear was appropriate and possibly helpful. This Arket swimsuit is really sturdy, when trying swimwear I often size up to make sure it covers all the right places and doesn't give me a wedgie. When it comes to bikinis, if you like me, enjoy some decent bum coverage look for tie side bikinis and again size up, you get more fabric on the rear view and can make it fit better using the tie sides. The red COS suit included in the blog is also available in store in black but not online, this is amazing on!
OTHER AWESOME SUMMER PIECES I FOUND
(BUT DIDN'T INCLUDE) FOR YOUR PERUSAL
DRESSES
In my humble opinion all of these dresses will work for any body shape.
H&M Cut Out Midi Dress - £24.99
Mango Polka Dot Dress - £69.99
Mango Green Cut Out Dress - £49.99
Mango Crochet Dress Cream - £79.99
Monsoon Blue Dolly Dress - £55
H&M Open Back Cream Dress - £39.99
OTHER BITS N BOBS
Things I have found and loved, such as this free people kimono - so versatile on holiday as things like this can be worn back to front open over a bikini, as an evening look or day look. A hard working item but difficult to demonstrate in a blog.
Co-ords are huge this spring, but I think they are always worth an investment if possible, you get more bang for your buck than with a dress as each can be worn separately.
Mango Green Skirt - £35.99
Mango Green Shirt - £35.99
And finally these M&S linen trousers, I had them in black last year and found them amazing, might well get one of these two colours this year, I binned the belt and wore my own belts with them to make them look a little more edgy.
White Pure Linen Trousers Marks & Spencers - £29.50
Natural Marks & Spencer Belted Linen Trousers - £29.50
BAGS & SHOES
Mango Green Croc Baguette - £19.99
Mango Jute Beach Bag - £35.99
M&S Macrame Shoulder Bag - £25 I am a tiny bit in love with this bag...
Dr Martens Blaire Sandal - £95 and these shoes....
Leather Heeled Sandals - £85
Studded Leather Sandals - £29.99 and these shoes!!!
THATS ALL FOLKS
That is all for this blog, as ever if you enjoyed it please subscribe below, leave a comment or a love heart and share it on your social media - MANY MANY THANKS! And feel free to suggest topics for future blogs. xxx
Elena x